Pharmaceutical name:

 Radix Tripterygium wilfordii

Latin botanical name:

 Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.

Pron. in Cantonese:

 lui kong teng

Common Name:

 three-wing-nut

Folk Name:

"Walk Seven Steps and Die," "Intestine Breaking Plant"

Distribution:

native of southern part of mainland China, Taiwan, Burma

Properties (characteristics)

bitter and very toxic

Actions & Indications:

for: anti-inflammation,  kills worms, resolves toxins, treating proteinuric renal disease, used as immunosuppressive agent on autoimmune diseases.

1. Saponins:

(1). wilforgine, wilforgine-B, wilfordine, wilfornine, wilfortrine, wilforttrine-D, wilforzine[1-3], wilformine [4], wilfordinic acid, hyudroxywilfordic acid [5],wilfornine [6], neowilforine [7]

(2). celacinnine, celafurine, celabenzine, celallocinnine [8-9]

(3). triptofordinine A-1, A-2 [10],  triptofordin D-1, D-2, E [11], triptofordin A, B, C-1 C-2 [12], triptofordin F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4 [13]

2.

(1). triptolide, tripdiolide, triptonide,[14-15], tripterolide[16].

(2). triptolidenol [16-17], tripnolide [18], neotriptophenolide, triptophenolide methyl ether [19], isoneotrip-tophenolide, hypolide methyl ether [20].

(3). triptonoterpene, triptonoterpene methyl ether [17],  triptonoterpenol [21]12-ydroxy-abieta-8, 11, 13 -trien-3-one, 11-hydroxy-14-methoxy-abieta-8, 11-hydroxy-14-methoxy-abieta-8, 11, 13-trien-3-one [22].

3. (1). wilforlide A, wilforlide B [23].

(2). tritotriterpenoid lactone [24], tretotriterpenic acid A [25,26], tritotriterpenic acid B [27], tritotriterpenic acid C [28], 3-epikatonic acid [29], polpunonic acid, triptodihydroxy acid methyl ester [30], tripterine [31].

(3).3,24-dioxofridelan-29-oic acid [29], salaspermic acid [29,32].

4. wilfornide [20]

5. 1,8-dihydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl anthraquinone [33].

6. syringareisnol [34].

7. dulcitol, glucose [31], tannin

Medical Functions:

1. Effects on immune system

2. Effects on anti-inflammatory

3. Effects on anti-cancer

4. Effects on contraception

5. Effects on urinary system

6. Effects on anti-organism and worms

7. Other Effects

     Anti rejection on transplants

8. Inside body

9. Effects of toxicity

Other Research:

Four compounds purified from T. wilfordii may confer protection against the FSGS (focalsegmental gomerulosclerosis) factor.^a

^{Research on Pharmacological Processes:}

See Research Librarian

Modern Clinical Application:

1.proliferative arthritis　

2. inflammation of spinal cord

3. lupus

4. purpura

5. kidney inflammation

6. asthma

7. tuberculosis of the lungs

8. psoriasis

9. dermatitis

10. Reiter syndrome

Using water decoction of lei gong teng and alcohol extract of lei gong teng:

They both contain 50 lei gong ten 50 g, and ji xue tang 50 g each. Take orally 50 ml, twice a day after meals.

30 days is one therapy period.

Result:

Total patients: 193

Patients taking alcohol extract: 116

Effective rate: 86.2%

Patients taking water decoction: 77

Effective rate: 72.72%

It showed that the alcohol extract was more effective than the water decoction. [21]

Toxicity and Side Effects:

1. Toxic reactions: dizziness, palpitation, weakness, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, pain in liver and kidney areas, bleeding in the digestive tract, even respiration and circulation exhaustion and death.

2. Decrease of total blood cell counts ⁽²⁾

3. Mutation type of illness: using lei gong teng tincture for external use can cause mutation type of illness. ⁽³⁾

4. Long -term use of lei gong teng could significantly decrease bone mineral density of levels in female systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)^b

5. Long -term use of lei gong teng causes hair loss and malfunction of immune system.

   6. Large dosages and/or long term usage can be toxic to kidneys.

   大劑量或長期服用可能對 腎臟有毒。

antidotes:

See Prevention and treatments